This invention relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly to graphical user interfaces for computer systems.
Graphical user interfaces or GUI are becoming increasingly popular with computer users. It is generally accepted that computers having graphical user interfaces are easier to use, and that it is quicker to learn an application program in a GUI environment than in a non-GUI environment.
Apple Computer, Inc. is widely credited with popularizing graphical user interfaces with the GUI provided on their Macintosh line of computers. The Macintosh GUI includes a "desk top" area occupying most of the computer screen, a menu bar provided along the top of the screen which provides a number of pull-down menus that can be activated with a pointing device, such as a mouse or track ball. The output of application programs can be displayed on the screen within a "window" which can cover part or all of the desk top. The menu bar, however, is always visible and will always display certain system required functions regardless of which application program is currently active.
When multiple windows are open on the screen, it can, at times, become confusing as to which application is currently active and which application is being controlled by the menu bar. For example, even though the Macintosh GUI causes a title bar associated with an active window to have a distinctive shading, users still sometimes mistake a non-active window for the active window and try to operate on the non-active window with the menu bar.
Some graphical user interfaces, such as X-window and some graphical UNIX user interfaces, permit multiple active windows on a computer screen. While such systems are advantageous in that several application programs can be run at the same time, the user interface becomes more complex since each application program can provide its own, idiosyncratic interface to a user. This added complexity decreases user efficiency and increases learning time.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to have similar user interfaces associated with any application program window which might be displayed on a screen. With such an system, it would be immediately clear which application was being acted upon, and user efficiency would be increased due to standardization of the interface.